Inspired by one of my favorite blogs Miss Mustard Seed and many of the blogs linked to her site, I recently embarked on my first crack at chalk paint with an old wood desk found on craigslist. I re-purposed the desk to use in my new craft room.

I sanded the top of the desk down to the raw wood to remove the old finish. In hindsight, I could have used a Paint & Varnish Stripping Gel as an alternative. But the sander got the job done.

I used Annie Sloan Chalk paint in Pure White and Duck Egg blue. I mixed the colors to create a subtle ombre effect on the drawers. I used a walnut stain on the top with pure white chalk paint to outline the desk top.

Two coats of stain and two coats of paint later, I lightly distressed the piece and finished the desk with Annie Sloan clear soft wax. Additionally, I spray painted the drawer pulls to rubbed oil bronze so they all match.

Now all I need is to find a wooden stool to paint!

What I learned:

Chalk paint is expensive but saves so much time because no sanding or varnish stripping is required.

Chalk paint clean up is simple because it is water soluble.

The white chalk paint does not cover as well the colored paint. I’m not sure if it was just the can I had, but I could never get the white paint to mix properly. I stirred it a lot with a metal spoon but there were still chalk lumps.

The clear wax is no joke. Get a good waxing brush and watch online tutorials such as Simple Reinvented.